Scanning focal plane sensor systems and methods for imaging large dynamic range scenes

摘要

A scanning focal plane sensor and method are described for image capturing of object space (or scenes). In one example, a focal plane sensor for a scanning imaging system is provided. The focal plane sensor for a scanning imaging system includes M×N Time Delay Integration (TDI) imaging Charge Coupled Device (CCD), where M is a number of TDI columns and N is a number of TDI stages per each column. A detector is connected to each TDI stage. The focal plane sensor includes an imaging controller configured to mechanize sampling the brightness value of each sensor pixel's initial footprint in object space and select a number of charge integrating TDI stages for substantially equalizing the inter sensor pixels' signal to noise ratios.

主权项

1. A scanning focal plane sensor for an imaging system comprising:
a M×N time delay integration (TDI) imaging charge coupled device (CCD), where M is a number of sensor pixels and N is a number of TDI stages per sensor pixel, and M and N are integers greater than one; and an imaging controller configured to determine an initial photosignal value for each sensor pixel based on an initial capture of an image of an object scene, and select a number of TDI stages for integrating charge of each respective sensor pixel of the image based on its respective initial photosignal value.